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You piqued my interest in Quilter - "Quilter Aviator Gold 1x12" 200W 1x12 Guitar Combo Amp" . They were not on my radar! A bit pricey for SS (up there with the Roland Blues Cube Stage, etc), but worth it if the tone and flexibility are there in one box, plus great portability and low maintenance. The Quilter 101 50Watt head looks interesting, too. The Tech 21 Power Engine 60 with a small tube head and/or pedals up front might be another option.

Mine is an older Aviator with two 10" speakers. Sounds good at any volume. Takes pedals really well. Yeah, a little pricey. I was able to score mine at a really significant discount (new old stock). Used might be a good way to go too.

Hey guys. I called Carvin the other day inquiring about a new X100B and VX412B cab. None in stock so I asked. The Rep told me they only had a few X100B`s left in stock for $799 and it was discontinued and they discontinued the VX412 base cab. He said there is no plans to replace either. Something is going on over at Carvin for sure. This split has caused a lot of problems and the prices of both, especially Kiesel guitars have shot up a ton. It makes me uneasy. I really liked the combined company. I wish they would have stayed together and just had separate buildings or something. After Mr. Kiesels passing something has gone aray.

For what its worth, the CT3 has only gone up $50 in 10 years. The CT6 has gone up $130 in that same time, but $100 of that is the now- standard DTS they used to charge extra for, and $20 is the Kiesel Lithium upgrade on other models, which come standard on the CT.

The DC127 has gone up only $90 in that same 10 years, and there are more free upgrade options than ever before (solid colors, satin and raw tone finishes, plus the first $100 in options are free).

Yes, some options have gone up, they also offer more higher-price options than ever before like buckeye burl tops and pale moon ebony fretboards, and they offer a few more niche instruments with higher costs of entry like headless and multiscale guitars and bases.

Combined with the fact that demand for exotic woods has gone up dramatically, I don't see Kiesel's higher average price as indication of some seismic shift outside of just offering more options than ever before, including higher price ones.

Carvin, however, for rid the the X100b, the SX, the VT16, the Vintage 16 is likely next according to the customer service i spoke to when i tried to get a just-delisted VT16... with no replacements for anything.

It seems like their only new guitar product since the V3m and the AG200/300 has been the Vai preamp pedal. Every other product line update has been pro audio, discontinuing guitar amps, and selling another company's mixers.

The prices on most of the Kiesel guitars and options have definitely taken a shot upward over the past few years. Some of the options have doubled in price. It's shocking to look through a catalog from the early 2000's and compare it's prices to today's. But then again, everything always goes up (except in consumer electronics). Long term inflation takes care of that, although inflation was flat or even slightly negative through the recession years.

I suspect that the Kiesel increases were necessary in large part to keep the company afloat and cover the costs of the split-up, a new factory and hiring new employees. In the process they have cut their marketing budget by dropping all advertising and catalog distribution in favor of "free" online social media and other internet exposure.

There certainly is a big company push now towards selling guitars decked out with expensive top woods and finishs. But buying into those options are a customer's prerogative. Of course I think we all want lower prices, but not at the expense of quality. And the wide variety of options now available since Kiesel took over the business puts the previous Carvin offerings to shame. Today, Kiesel will bend over backwards to give customers what they want. For example, before Kiesel it was impossible to get a thinner neck on a Holdsworth - absolutely no way; zero company flexibility.

I'm willing to pay a little extra $ for a Kiesel (post Carvin) because I can now spec. out nearly exactly what I want. Let's face it, buying a Kiesel is still a bit of a leap of faith compared to walking into GC and pulling a couple of guitars off the wall till you find the one that clicks.

Omsong wrote:I'm willing to pay a little extra $ for a Kiesel (post Carvin) because I can now spec. out nearly exactly what I want. Let's face it, buying a Kiesel is still a bit of a leap of faith compared to walking into GC and pulling a couple of guitars off the wall till you find the one that clicks.

I totally agree with this. I'm still in shock over the fact that they let me buy a CS with no tummy cut. It may seem silly to some people but that might have been a deal-breaker for me.

I didn't want to spend the money on a custom guitar and then end up with it hanging on the wall while I kept playing my Les Pauls. Now my Les Pauls are hanging there while I play my CS.

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